Yves Herman/Reuters There's a niche business in Belgium that happens to be thriving: pet funerals.

Animatrans, a company specializing in after-death commemorations for furry friends, helps animal lovers of all kinds honor their deceased pets with professional-level tributes, from taxidermy and funeral services to burial and commemorative masks.

The company started in 1995, and founder Patrick Pendville claims it was the first of its kind in the country. Pendville says he started Animatrans as an alternative option to no-frills disposals.

And what an alternative option it is.

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Animatrans is located in the small Belgian town of Forest, roughly six miles outside of Brussels. Pendville claims his company is the first to offer such high-end service for pets.

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Animatrans now works with other similar providers of after-death services for pets, such as the Samsara Eternity crematory in Soignies, Belgium.

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Customers at Samsara Eternity can arrange a memorial service in which their pet is surrounded by decorative blankets and lighting.

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For some, the event is a family affair.

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For others, like Chantal Detimmerman, saying goodbye is best done alone.

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"I loved him so much that I decided to keep his ashes, to always have Chico next to me," Detimmerman told Reuters.

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If they don't want to cremate the pet, owners can select a burial plot in which to have the animal buried.

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One pet cemetery in Aywaille, Belgium provides a final resting place for dozens of animals.

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If the graves didn't have pictures of the animals, you might never realize the plots are not for humans.

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To make the full memorial experience possible, trained taxidermists first make the animals fit for presentation.

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In the town of Aalst, for instance, taxidermist Cathy Vertongen works on all kinds of animals, from dogs to monkeys to birds to ducks.

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One of the most popular services she offers is the creation of resin masks modeled after the original pet, which her customers can take home.

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The resemblance can be uncanny.

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Often, Vertongen and Pendville work closely together to help customers achieve the perfect send off.

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That was the case for Monique Kroonen-Dupont, who recently had her Yorkshire terrier Doudou stuffed.

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Myriam Waeles also went to Vertongen when her pet mallard Arthur died.

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Even Chantal Bauchez, who kept a barbary macaque monkey as her pet, can ensure her companion will receive a classy tribute.